Electronic devices for receiving pushed data

ABSTRACT

Mobile devices such as cellular telephones are provided that communicate with wireless networks. Cellular telephone network equipment may communicate with a cellular telephone over a data connection. The cellular telephone may have an internet protocol (IP) address that allows data to be provided to the cellular telephone over the data connection. To conserve resources and release unused IP addresses, the cellular telephone network equipment may deactivate inactive data connections after a period of inactivity. A baseband processor within a mobile device may periodically send User Datagram Protocol (UDP) keep-alive packets over the data connection to ensure that the data connection remains active. The keep-alive packets may be directed to a packet sink server or may be associated with a black hole route. An applications processor in the telephone may remain in sleep mode during keep-alive packet transmission to conserve power.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, toelectronic devices such as cellular telephones that have data pushed tothem from remote server(s).

Electronic devices such as cellular telephones have wirelesscapabilities. These wireless capabilities may be used to support voiceand data traffic. Certain operations, such as operations involved inmonitoring cellular telephone control channels for indicators ofincoming calls can be handled by a type of integrated circuit called abaseband processor. The baseband processor is used to handlecommunications-related operations. Complex operations, such as thoserequired when implementing graphics-intensive functions for a user of asmart phone, may be implemented by general purpose microprocessors.Because these general purpose microprocessors are used in handlingfunctions related to implementing applications, they are sometimesreferred to as applications processors.

An applications processor may be used to implement functions for a usersuch as media playback functions, email display functions, and webbrowsing functions. When a user of a cellular telephone is not activelyusing the telephone, the applications processor is not needed. Theapplications processor may therefore be shut down temporarily toconserve power.

Advanced communications services such as push email services require thepresence of a persistent data connection between the cellular telephoneand the internet. This allows the cellular telephone to receive packetsof data from push email service(s) that inform the cellular telephone ofthe presence of new incoming email via this persistent networkconnection.

Cellular networks typically monitor the data connections of the cellulartelephones that are using the network. If no data has been sent over agiven data connection for a set period—for example thirty minutes, thecellular network assumes the data connection is not needed. The cellularnetwork therefore tears down the data connection, so that the internetprotocol (IP) address associated with the data connection and othersystem resources can be made available to other users. Although thisapproach helps the cellular network manage its bandwidth, it causesproblems for users of push email services as the notification path is nolonger available. In particular, a user of a cellular telephone whosedata connection has been torn down by the cellular network will notreceive new-mail-available packets from the push email service to alertthe user of incoming email.

To prevent cellular networks from prematurely terminating the dataconnection between the cellular telephone and the cellular telephone,some conventional cellular telephones use their applications processorsto periodically wake and send data packets to a remote server. This datatransmission activity serves to prevent the cellular network fromtearing down the data connection and thereby makes it possible for thecellular telephone to properly receive new-mail-available packets. Useof the applications processor to send these data packets (which can beempty, as meaningful data is not required to keep the cellular networkfrom tearing down the connection) can, however, shorten battery life asthe applications processor's boot-up and shut-down overhead can be verylarge. In situations in which the applications processor has been placedin a sleep mode, the process of waking up the applications processor tosend the (optionally empty) data packets to the remote server mayconsume undesirably large amounts of power.

A flow chart of conventional steps involved in maintaining active dataconnections between cellular telephones and cellular telephone networksso that the cellular telephones may receive push email or notificationsare shown in FIG. 2. Operations of the type shown in FIG. 2 may beperformed by cellular telephones that contain baseband processors andapplications processors. To conserve power, the applications processorin a given cellular telephone may be placed in a sleep state when not inuse.

As an example, assume that the operations of FIG. 2 are intended for acellular telephone network that would deactivate a data connection ifthere is inactivity thirty (30) minutes after the last acknowledgementor packet is transacted with the cellular telephone. Other cellularnetworks may have different fixed or variable inactivity time-outs.

At step 36, the cellular telephone determines whether 29.5 minutes(assuming a thirty minute timeout) have elapsed since the last datatransmission to/from the cellular telephone network has beensent/received. If 29.5 minutes has not elapsed, an internal timer isincremented and, as indicated schematically by line 38 in FIG. 2,waiting continues at step 36. The timer used to wake the applicationsprocessor is typically implemented using system power managementcircuitry.

If, at step 36, it is determined that 29.5 minutes has elapsed since thelast data transmission, operations proceed to step 40. At step 40, theapplications processor is awakened. For example, if the timer isimplemented in power management circuitry, the power managementcircuitry awakes the applications processor.

At step 42, the applications processor sends (via the basebandprocessor) an (optionally empty) data packet to a remote server. Becausethe empty data packet is recognized by the cellular network as activedata traffic, the cellular network resets its inactivity timer and doesnot deactivate the data connection between the cellular telephone andthe network. This data connection will therefore remain available forthe cellular telephone to use in receiving notifications from a remotepush email service. When email is available for the user of the cellulartelephone, an email server may send a packet to the cellular telephonethat indicates to the cellular telephone that the applications processorshould wake up to check for email or other push data.

After the applications processor has sent the empty data packet to theremote server at step 42, the applications processor may be returned toits sleep state at step 44 to conserve power.

As indicated by line 46, the process of FIG. 2 may be repeatedcontinuously.

While the FIG. 2 arrangement may be satisfactory for maintaining thepersistent data connections that are needed to receive push email, theneed to repeatedly activate the applications processor to send emptydata packets to the remote server wastes power. This is because theapplications processor generally consumes a significantly larger amountof power than the baseband processor.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devicesthat more efficiently handle duties associated with supporting dataservices such as push email.

SUMMARY

Electronic devices such as cellular telephones and other mobile devicesare provided that communicate wirelessly with cellular telephone networkequipment. When communicating wirelessly in this way, a data connectionmay be established between a mobile device and the cellular telephonenetwork equipment. The mobile device may have an internet protocol (IP)address, so that push email and other push data (pushed data) may betransmitted to the mobile device over the data connection.

To receive push data, it is desirable to maintain the data connectionbetween the mobile device and the cellular network equipment in anactive state. The cellular network equipment will generally deactivateinactive data connections after a given period of inactivity. Thisallows the cellular network equipment to conserve network resources andrelease IP addresses for use where currently needed.

The mobile devices may include baseband processor integrated circuitsand general purpose processors that are sometimes referred to asapplications processors. Applications processors may be used toimplement games, productivity applications, web browsers, media playbackfunctions, and applications for other user services. When an applicationis running on the applications processor, the applications processortypically consumes a significantly larger amount of power than thebaseband processor.

To conserve power when the applications processor is not in active use,the applications processor may be placed in a low-power sleep mode. Inthe event that incoming push email or other such push data is to beprocessed, the applications processor may be powered up.

While the applications processor is in sleep mode (or at other suitabletimes), the baseband processor (or other suitable circuitry such as anintegrated circuit that consumes less power than the applicationsprocessor) may periodically transmit keep-alive packets over the dataconnection. The keep-alive packets may be compliant with a protocol suchas the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). UDP packets are ideal in thiscontext as the protocol does not call for a response packet from thedestination host and hence will not cause the baseband processor to wakethe applications processor when a reply packet arrives.

The keep-alive packets may be addressed to a packet sink server thatdiscards incoming packets or may be associated with a black hole route.To ensure that the data connection remains active, the basebandprocessor may transmit the keep-alive packets so that the maximum periodof time for which the data connection is inactive is less than thenetwork inactivity timeout value that triggers the cellular networkequipment to begin deactivate a data connection.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantageswill be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system in which a mobile device maybe used to receive push data over a wireless communications network inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of conventional steps involved in operatingcellular telephones that receive push email.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in operating acellular telephone in a system of the type shown in FIG. 1 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to electronic devices such as cellulartelephones and other devices that use wireless communications to havedata pushed to them from remote sources. Electronic devices such asthese may be provided in the form of mobile equipment such as laptopcomputers, handheld devices, pendant or wearable devices such aswristwatch devices, or other miniature or portable equipment. Electronicdevices that have data pushed to them from remote sources may also belarger devices (e.g., desktop computers).

Particularly in mobile wireless devices, it is important to minimizepower consumption. Devices with excessive power consumption may besubject to faster battery drain. This can lead to undesirableinterruptions in operation when a user is not able to charge a devicefrom a wall outlet.

Baseband processors are dedicated wireless communications integratedcircuits that are specifically optimized to perform network presenceactivity using relatively small amounts of power. Baseband processorsmay be used to handle wireless communications functions such asfunctions related to monitoring a wireless control channel (or othersignaling mechanism) for notifications of incoming telephone calls. Somecellular telephones can operate exclusively using a baseband processor.An advantage of using a dedicated baseband processor is that this typeof integrated circuit consumes a relatively modest amount of power.

Although baseband processors can be used to handle wirelesscommunications functions in a cellular telephone, baseband processorsare generally unable to handle complex tasks associated with smartphones. For example, baseband processors are not generally able tohandle the functions involved in implementing applications such as webbrowsing applications, complex media playback operations, wordprocessing applications, spreadsheet applications, etc. To handleadvanced applications such as these, smart phones are typically providedwith additional processing circuitry in the form of a general purposemicroprocessor. Because the general purpose microprocessor is being usedat least in part to implement applications, the general purposemicroprocessor is sometimes referred to as the “applications processor.”

In their respective active modes, applications processors typicallyrequire much more power to operate than baseband processors. To conservepower, smart phones may place an applications processor in a low-powerstate (sometimes referred to as a sleep state or sleep mode) when theapplications processor is not in active use. While the applicationsprocessor is in the sleep state, the baseband processor remains activeto monitor the cellular network for notifications of incoming email. Ifa packet arrives from the network, for example an incoming mailnotification sent from a remote mail server, the baseband processor willturn on the applications processor. The applications processor may thenbe used in processing the incoming email. The baseband processor servesonly as a conduit for this data, it does not understand or otherwiseprocess the data passing through it.

Push data services such as push email services generally require anactive internet connection. If a cellular telephone does not have thistype of active data connection, push email from a remote email servermay not be properly received. Cellular networks typically deactivateinactive data connections after a given period of inactivity (e.g., 30minutes) to conserve network resources. To ensure that the dataconnection is not deactivated by the cellular network in this way, someconventional cellular telephones may periodically transmit data packets(optionally empty) over the wireless network connection between thecellular telephone and the cellular network using the applicationsprocessor. These periodic transmissions ensure that sufficient activityis present over the network connection to prevent the cellular networkfrom deactivating the connection.

When this approach is used, push email will be properly received by thecellular telephone. However, because the applications processor is usedin forming the data packets to be transmitted, the applicationsprocessor must be periodically powered to its active state to keep thenetwork connection active. In situations in which the applicationsprocessor would otherwise be in its sleep state, more power will beconsumed than is desirable, solely for the purpose of keeping thenetwork connection active in order to receive data pushed to it.

In accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention, mobiledevices such as cellular telephones may keep a persistent connection toreceive push data from remote data services with reduced powerconsumption. The reduced power consumption stems from using a lowerpower processor such as the baseband processor to send a packet to thenetwork to prevent deactivation of the data connection.

An illustrative system 10 in accordance with at least some embodimentsof the invention is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, mobile device12 may communicate with cellular network equipment 14 over a wirelesscommunications path such as path 16. Mobile device 12 may be a cellulartelephone such as an iphone® or an ipod® (both products of Apple, Inc.),or devices such as notebook computer, handheld device, or other portabledevice that contains cellular telephone communications circuitry.Communications network 18 may include local and wide area networks suchas the internet. Routers such as router 24 may be used to convey datawithin communications network 18. Components such as mail server 22,packet sink server 20, and other data processing components may beconnected to communications network 18. Packet sink server 20 may beused as a destination for keep-alive packets that are used to maintainactive data connections between mobile device 12 and cellular networkequipment 14. Packet sink server 20 may be implemented using componentsthat are separate from cellular network equipment 14 or may beimplemented using components that make up part of cellular networkequipment 14.

Mobile device 12 may include baseband processor 26 and applicationsprocessor 30. Baseband processor 26 may handle communications functionssuch as communications functions involved in monitoring control trafficbetween cellular network equipment 14 and device 12. Applicationsprocessor 30 may be a general purpose microprocessor that is used inpresenting a graphical user interface for a user of device 12 and thatis used in implementing applications such as email reader applications,web browsing applications, spreadsheet and word processing applications,graphics applications, media playback applications, etc.

Additional components such as display 32 and circuitry 34 may also beincluded in device 12. Display 32 may be, for example, a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) with (or without) an integrated touch screen. Circuitry 34may include radio-frequency circuitry such as input and outputradio-frequency amplifiers, antennas, memory chips, input-output devicessuch as buttons, touch pads, microphones, speakers, light-emittingdiodes, cameras, audio and video connectors, data ports, batteries andpower management circuitry, etc.

In accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention, theapplications processor can be maintained in a low power or sleep statewithout being awoken periodically to send a data packet to keep alive adata connection. This may be accomplished by using a baseband processorsuch as baseband processor 26 of FIG. 1 to handle functions involved inkeeping the data connection with cellular network 14 in an active state,which may serve to conserve battery charge. If desired, the basebandprocessor may handle these “keep-alive” functions even in situations inwhich the applications processor is not in a sleep state, although theuse of the baseband processor to avoid the need to wake up theapplications processor may be particularly useful in reducing powerconsumption.

Illustrative steps involved in using mobile device 12 in system 10 ofFIG. 1 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are shownin FIG. 3.

When device 12 is turned on, device 12 establishes a network dataconnection (step 50). The network data connection may be used to receivepush email or other push data from a remote service such as mail server22.

At step 48, the IP address to which keep-alive data packets are sent isdetermined. Any suitable technique may be used to determine this IPaddress. For example, the IP address may be determined by using a domainname service (DNS) lookup operation after the data connection of step 50has been established. With this type of approach, periodic changes tothe IP address will be automatically reflected in the updated results ofthe lookup operation. A DNS entry may have an expiration time afterwhich its IP address is no longer valid. An up-to-date lookup operationmay be required when the IP address expires in this way. Any suitabletechnique may be used to ensure that the IP address obtained from theDNS lookup operation is valid. For example, applications processor 30may periodically be awoken to repeat the DNS lookup operation.

The IP address that is determined at step 48 (shown as IP address 28 inFIG. 1) may be associated with any suitable network destination. Forexample, IP address 28 may be associated with a “black hole route.”Routers such as router 24 may have associated IP addresses. In a blackhole route scenario, a router such as router 24 in network 18 may beinformed that all packets to a particular IP address should be dropped.This black hole route IP address may then be provided to basebandprocessor 26 as IP address 28. With another suitable arrangement, IPaddress 28 may be associated with a special server on network 18 such aspacket sink server 20. Server 20 may the act as a destination forkeep-alive packets from baseband processor 26. Typically, in order toallow for services and servers to move to different physical networks,the IP address of the packet sink server or blackhole route addresswould be obtained using a DNS lookup when the network connection isfirst established (step 48).

After the user has finished using applications on device 12 (e.g., afterfinishing the use of a game or business productivity application) andafter the communications operations associated with receiving push dataover the data connection have been completed, operations may becommenced to place applications processor 30 in sleep mode to conservepower (step 52).

Before entering sleep mode, applications processor 30 forms a keep-alivepacket that includes IP address 28 for use by baseband processor 26. Anysuitable format may be used for the keep-alive packet. With oneillustrative arrangement, a keep-alive packet may be formed that iscompliant with the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), but this is merely anexample and other types of packets may be used if desired. No stateinformation is contained in a valid UDP packet (e.g., a UDP keep-alivepacket). UDP packets may be preferred over packets formed in accordancewith other protocols (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol or TCP),because the UDP scheme allows UDP packets to be dropped by receivingequipment without issuing a response. A TCP keep-alive packet wouldnecessarily cause the generation of an acknowledgement (e.g., a ACK orNAK packet). Such acknowledgements would be sent back to the transmitter(e.g., baseband processor 26), at which point the transmitter wouldhandle the acknowledgement (e.g., possibly by waking up applicationsprocessor 30 and thereby consuming additional power).

The keep-alive packet that is formed may contain no data, null data, orany other suitable data (payload). Information that is required by theprotocol being used to form the packet (e.g., destination IP addressinformation corresponding to IP address 28, source IP address assignedto the device by the network, check sum data, etc.) may be included inthe keep-alive packet. During the operations of step 54, applicationsprocessor 30 may direct baseband processor 26 to periodically transmitthe keep-alive packet that has been previously prepared by theapplications processor.

At step 56, once the applications processor has finished all pendingtasks and has instructed baseband processor 26 to transmit thekeep-alive packet, device 12 may place applications processor 30 in asleep state. During the sleep state, applications processor 30 mayconsume significantly less power than applications processor 30 wouldotherwise consume (e.g., one tenth or one hundredth or less of the powerthat would be consumed when actively using applications processor 30 toimplement a desired application).

After placing applications processor 30 in sleep mode, basebandprocessor 26 awaits an incoming notification from cellular networkequipment 14 indicating that push data is available (step 58). If anotification is received, baseband processor 26 can turn on applicationsprocessor 30 at step 62. After the applications processor 30 leaves itssleep state and becomes active, the applications processor 30 may beused to receive push data from server 22 over the active data connectionmaintained by cellular network equipment 14.

During step 58, baseband processor 26 may increment a timer. The timermay be implemented using hardware and/or software. For example, thetimer may be implemented using timer resources within baseband processor26 or other suitable circuitry in device 12. If desired, the timer maybe implemented using clock information obtained from cellular networkequipment 14 or clock information maintained by a software timer. Timerfunctionality may also be implemented as part of another availableintegrated circuit such as a power management unit. Timer functions may,in general, be implemented using these arrangements, combinations ofsuch arrangements, or other suitable timer arrangements. The use of atimer implemented in baseband processor 26 is merely illustrative.

After a given amount of time has expired without receiving a push datanotification, the timer will reach its timeout value. The timeout valuefor step 58 is preferably configured to be less than the inactivitytimeout value used by cellular network equipment 14 in determining whento deactivate data connections to release IP addresses. For example, ifcellular network equipment 14 is configured to deactivate inactiveconnections after 30 minutes of inactivity, the timeout value forbaseband processor 26 may be set to a value that is slightly less thanthis value such as 29.5 minutes.

The use of a 29.5 minute timeout value is merely illustrative. Ifcellular network equipment 14 is configured to deactivate inactiveconnections after some other period of activity, the timeout value forbaseband processor 26 may be set to a value that is slightly less thanthat period. If desired, device 12 may use different timeout values indifferent circumstances. Device 12 may, for example, use timeout valuesthat vary depending on factors such as the identity of the network thatis being used by device 12, the user's level of service, the date andtime of day, network traffic conditions, etc. Information on thesefactors may be provided to device 12 from a remote server (e.g., aserver that device 12 may query for this information), as part of asoftware update, as part of a message sent to device 12, or using anyother suitable technique. For example, applications processor 30 may,before entering the sleep state at step 56, inform baseband processor 26of an appropriate initial timeout value for use at step 58 based on theapplications processor's knowledge about the time of the last networkinteraction. If the last interaction occurred about 15 minutes beforethe sleep state is entered, the initial timeout value provided to thebaseband processor might be about 14.5 minutes (in the illustrativesituation where the network's inactivity timer uses a 30 minutethreshold).

Once baseband processor 26 determines that the specified amount of timehas passed without detecting an incoming push data notification,baseband processor 26 may transmit the keep-alive packet (step 60) overthe active data connection between mobile device 12 and cellular networkequipment 14. The transmitted keep-alive packet will be delivered to itsdestination address 28 by the resources of network 18. The transmissionof the keep-alive packet creates network traffic that keeps the dataconnection active. In particular, when cellular network equipment 14detects network traffic such as the keep-alive packet, cellular networkequipment 14 resets its network activity timers. If no activity weredetected for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 minutes or othersuitable period of time), cellular network equipment 14 would deactivatethe data connection to make network resources (i.e., the IP address ofthe data connection) available to other users. When the keep-alivepacket is detected, cellular network equipment 14 is prevented fromdetecting 30 minutes (or other such time period) of contiguousinactivity.

As shown by line 64 processing can loop back to step 58, where basebandprocessor 26 can again await a push data notification or expiration ofthe timer. After the baseband processor sends the first keep-alivepacket at step 60, the baseband processor can reload (update) thetimeout value with a correct “full” interval time (e.g., 29.5 minutes)for use during subsequent iterations of step 58.

As this example demonstrates, periodic transmission of keep-alivepackets by baseband processor 26 ensures that the data connectionbetween device 12 and network 14 remains active to support the receiptof push data without requiring that applications processor 30 beperiodically powered up, thereby conserving power.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this inventionand various modifications can be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using a mobile device to communicatewith a cellular network, the mobile device comprising a basebandprocessor and an applications processor, the method comprising: by theapplications processor: generating a keep-alive packet; providing thekeep-alive packet to the baseband processor; and entering a sleep modeto conserve power of the mobile device, wherein the baseband processoris configured to send the keep-alive packet over a data connectionbetween the mobile device and the cellular network while theapplications processor is in the sleep mode.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the keep-alive packet generated by the applications processorincludes an internet protocol address.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe baseband processor sends the keep-alive packet multiple times whilethe applications processor is in the sleep mode.
 4. The method of claim3, wherein the keep-alive packet comprises a User Datagram Protocolkeep-alive packet.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the applicationsprocessor determines contents for the keep-alive packet before providingthe keep-alive packet to the baseband processor.
 6. The method of claim1, further comprising: while the data connection is active, exiting thesleep mode; and receiving push data after the baseband processorreceives an indication over the data connection that the push data isavailable.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the keep-alive packetincludes an address of a packet server to which the baseband processorsends the keep-alive packet.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein themobile device has an associated internet protocol (IP) address withwhich data is received over the data connection.
 9. The method of claim1, further comprising: receiving, from a push server in response toreceipt of the keep-alive packet by the push server, push email over thedata connection.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the keep-alivepacket generated by the applications processor is associated with atransmission control protocol (TCP) that causes an acknowledgementpacket to be sent by a packet server in response to the packet serverreceiving the keep-alive packet from the baseband processor.
 11. Amobile device comprising: circuitry that includes at least oneradio-frequency amplifier and at least one antenna; an applicationprocessor configured to: generate a keep-alive packet, provide thekeep-alive packet to a baseband processor of the mobile device, andenter a sleep mode; and the baseband processor configured to send thekeep-alive packet over a data connection between the mobile device and acellular network when the application processor is in the sleep mode.12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the keep-alive packet isgenerated by the applications processor to include an internet protocoladdress for use by the baseband processor.
 13. The mobile device ofclaim 11, wherein the baseband processor sends the keep-alive packetmultiple times while the applications processor is in the sleep mode.14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein generating the keep-alivepacket, by the applications processor, includes addressing thekeep-alive packet to a packet server before providing the keep-alivepacket to the baseband processor.
 15. The mobile device of claim 11,wherein the application processor is further configured to wake up andreceive push data (i) when the data connection is active and (ii) afterthe baseband processor receives an indication from a push server thatthe push data is available.
 16. The mobile device of claim 11, whereinthe baseband processor is further configured to receive a notificationof push data over the data connection (i) when the application processoris in the sleep mode or (ii) in response to a packet server receivingthe keep-alive packet over the data connection.
 17. An apparatuscomprising: a first processor; and a second processor, the secondprocessor configured to perform steps that include: generating akeep-alive packet, providing the keep-alive packet to the firstprocessor, and entering a sleep mode to conserve power, wherein thefirst processor is configured to send the keep-alive packet over a dataconnection between the apparatus and a cellular network while the secondprocessor is in the sleep mode.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, whereinthe keep-alive packet generated by the second processor includes aninternet protocol address.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17, whereingenerating the keep-alive packet, by the second processor, includesaddressing the keep-alive packet to a packet server before providing thekeep-alive packet to the first processor.